DRAWING comparisons to pedophiles to attack your opponents is acceptable under the ABC complaints process - held up as the ideal model by media inquiry head Ray Finkelstein - but has been ruled out of order by the newspapers' existing regulatory body.

Mr Finkelstein recommended in his government-commissioned review of the media industry earlier this year that the self-regulatory Australian Press Council should be overhauled in line with the ABC model.

But two decisions this week reveal the APC is tougher on commentators who compare opponents with pedophiles.

LAST month in this newspaper, I wrote an irreverent piece, "Losing Their Religion As Evidence Cools Off", illustrating how the global warming establishment was like a religion, replete with the structure, scripture and financial resources required to promote a faith-based movement and how it is losing disciples as the truth wears off.

I don't know about other readers, but at the ABC, for those with the religion it hit a nerve.

On November 24, Robyn Williams intoned to his audience on ABC's The Science Show, "if I told you that pedophilia is good for children, or asbestos is an excellent inhalant for those with asthma, or, that smoking crack is a normal part and a healthy one of teenage life, you'd rightly find it outrageous. Similar statements are coming out of inexpert mouths again and again, distorting the science". My article was given as an example of an anti-scientific position.

Really? Questioning climate science is like advocating pedophilia, abetting mesothelioma and pushing drugs to teenagers? Well yes, according to the ABC's science man. Stephan Lewandowsky, a guest on the program, asserted that those with a free market background were, according to his research, more likely to be sceptical of science. As well as climate science, "they are also rejecting the link between smoking and lung cancer; they are rejecting the link between HIV and AIDS", the professor said. Happily, it was extremely difficult to detect people on the "Left side of politics who are rejecting scientific evidence".

Saturday, December 8, 2012

A swag of letters over two days in the Australian (links and extracts below) decrying ABC's biased current affairs coverage. One doubts that anyone at Ultimo is listening and that anything constructive will be done to resolve the issue.

AS a spate of letters has shown this week, nobody does bias like the ABC. On many political issues -- from Israel, to warmist hype, to the US alliance, to gay marriage -- the broadcaster is utterly predictable in its leftist responses....

Notwithstanding the ABC's exclusive funding by the taxpayer, its pervasive bias is the sore that just keeps on running.

Brenton MingeTHERE has never been a time of greater need for the ABC -- which has profound influence with its ability to reach into every household -- to be held to account....Stephen Turner

IN response to the gripes of letter writers complaining about public funding of the ABC, I do not much care for sport but my taxes help pay for sporting institutes, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. I did not support the invasion of Iraq, yet my taxes helped pay for that invasion.At its best, the ABC enriches my life, it makes me laugh and it makes me think. Enjoy your sport and your wars and let me enjoy my ABC.Anthony Yeates

BRIAN Pymont misses the point in his defence of the ABC (Letters, 7/12). Being funded by the Australian taxpayer, it has a duty to report for us all. This is why the likes of Barrie Cassidy deserve our condemnation for his Left bias. I guess it reflects the general Left leaning of the public service, especially when accountability is low on the priority scale.Stig Falster

EACH Friday, I engage with some close friends in a brain teaser. This week we debated the question, who has more credibility: Barrie Cassidy or Mark Latham? We couldn't come to answer because we were unable to envisage a situation in which either had credibility.Jonathan Whybird

...However, the ABC is funded by taxpayers under the condition it gives a balanced view for all. Clearly, I am not getting my money's worth.Ivan Cope

...Now the ABC's news and current affairs has at last realised the purpose for which it was established - to balance any anti-government stance of the newspapers, and to play a support role in effecting social and cultural change. In my experience, there was always inherent sympathy within the organisation for the Left and great suspicion of conservatism and business.Geoffrey Luck

...You can turn off Insiders, too, but you'll still have to pay for it.Paul Yates

A FEW letter writers miss the point when it comes to ABC's left-wing bias. The ABC's mission is not to balance other media outlets but to provide content for all Australians.The continued absence of any conservative voices among the hosts of its current affairs and local radio programs is a slap in the face to half of the Australian population that helps to pay for its existence.Marc Hendrickx

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A bevy of letters in today's Australian putting forward a strong case for pro ALP bias at ABC's Insiders program. Ruth Bonetti has one of the best lines..."Insiders is an ABC Labor Party love-in." (See here for more- subscription required).

Aim of ABC NEWS WATCH

In a diversifying media landscape news editors face an increasingly difficult challenge reviewing the work of reporters under their supervision. Inevitably some mistakes, errors and substandard articles slip past their critical eyes.

The simple aim of ABC NEWS WATCH is to publicise the errors, omissions, and substandard reports produced by the News service and related entities of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In doing so we hope to provide an independent check or audit on ABC news articles and in doing so improve the standard of ABC news reporting. After all it's our ABC.

We acknowledge and pay respect to the actions, sacrifice, wisdom, traditions, mistakes and curiosity of our ancestors. Their collective efforts over centuries helped evolve our western civilisation, giving birth to the liberal society that makes this website possible.